Description

With the same directness that defined his career in public service, Rumsfeld's memoir is filled with previously undisclosed details and insights about the Bush administration, 9/11, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also features Rumsfeld's unique and often surprising observations on eight decades of history: his experiences growing up during the Depression and World War II, his time as a Naval aviator; his service in Congress starting at age 30; his cabinet level positions in theNixon and Ford White Houses; his assignments in the Reagan administration;and his years as a successful business executive in the private sector.Rumsfeld addresses the challenges and controversies of his illustrious career, from the unseating of the entrenched House Republican leader in 1965, to helping the Ford administration steer the country away from Watergate and Vietnam, to bruising battles over transforming the military for the 21st century, to the war in Iraq, to confronting abuse at Abu Ghraib and allegations of torture at Guantanamo Bay. Along the way, he offers his plainspoken, first-hand views and often humorous and surprising anecdotes about some of the world's best known figures, from Margaret Thatcher to Saddam Hussein, from Henry Kissinger toColin Powell, from Elvis Presley to Dick Cheney, and each American president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush. Rumsfeld relies not only on his memory but also on previously unreleased and recently declassified documents. Thousands of pages of documents not yet seen by the public will be made available on an accompanying website. "Known and Unknown" delivers both a fascinating narrative for today's readers and an unprecedented resource for tomorrow's historians.show more

Review quote

A serious stab at telling the history of a consequential period in America through the eyes of one of its most consequential players. PETER BAKER, "The New York Times " I don t care whether you re . . . a liberal or a conservative or something else: If you re interested in this period of history, the book is a total feast. JAY NORDLINGER, "National Review " A meaty, well-written book that will be a primary source for historians . . . This power memoir deserves to be read with the care that went into writing it. CHRISTOPHER BUCKLEY, "BusinessWeek""show more

About Donald Rumsfeld

Donald Rumsfeld was the 13th and 21st U.S. Secretary of Defense. He currently chairs the Rumsfeld Foundation, which supports leadership and public service at home and the growth of free political and free economic systems abroad. The Rumsfeld Foundation funds microfinance development projects, fellowships for graduate students interested in public service, the development of young leaders from Central Asia and the Caucasus, and charitable causes that benefit the men and women of the U.S. armed forces and their families.show more

Review Text

"A serious stab at telling the history of a consequential period in America through the eyes of one of its most consequential players."
-PETER BAKER, The New York Times
"I don't care whether you're . . . a liberal or a conservative or something else: If you're interested in this period of history, the book is a total feast."
-JAY NORDLINGER, National Review
"A meaty, well-written book that will be a primary source for historians . . . This power memoir deserves to be read with the care that went into writing it."
-CHRISTOPHER BUCKLEY, BusinessWeekshow more